PASADENA, CA — The 103rd edition of the Rose Bowl was an instant classic, with more ups-and-downs than a ride at Disneyland — but the Penn State Nittany Lions were unable to come out on top. The Nittany Lions fell to the USC Trojans as the Men of Troy made a 46-yard field goal as the clock expired to win 52-49 Monday evening in Pasadena.
“These guys should have their chin held high, their chest out, because what we've been able to accomplish this year from the beginning to the end is really ... Read More

PASADENA, CA — The No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-3, 9-1 Big Ten) were unable to secure another come-from-behind victory this season, falling to the No. 9 USC Trojans 52-49 in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual Monday evening at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena.
Here are the game's “Cheers and jeers.”
Cheers
McSorley to Godwin:
Quarterback Trace McSorley has been at the helm of the Nittany Lions' offense for a full calendar year after first appearing in the TaxSlayer ... Read More

No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 9 Southern California Trojans
The Records: Penn State (11-2, 9-1 Big Ten); USC (9-3, 7-2 Pac 12)
The Head Coaches: Penn State: James Franklin, third season, 49-29 overall, 25-14 at Penn State; USC: Clay Helton, 15-7 record overall and at USC
The Game: For many teams facing off in bowl games, the paths the teams take to get to said games are usually incredibly different. For USC and Penn State, however, the paths were eerily similar.
Both USC and ... Read More

Monday afternoon's kickoff in Pasadena, Calif., will the fourth time the Penn State Nittany Lions will play in the Granddaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl. The 103rd installment of the Rose Bowl features the Nittany Lions and the USC Trojans, two programs well versed in playing each other in Pasadena.
This game will mark the third time Penn State and USC have met in the Rose Bowl — dating back to their first match-up in 1923 and their more recent match-up in 2009. The Nittany Lions played the ... Read More

From upsets and blowouts to Cinderella stories to underachieving national powerhouses (we see you, Notre Dame), the 2016-17 college football season has had it all.
Well, at least that's what I thought until this week when Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey declared he would be skipping the Cardinal's bowl game, the Sun Bowl, to focus on NFL Draft preparations.
And McCaffrey isn't the only player forgoing a bowl game to focus on draft preparation. The stand-out running back ... Read More

Pitt Panthers running back James Conner will declare for the 2017 NFL draft, the redshirt junior announced on Twitter on Saturday.
Forever Grateful. pic.twitter.com/B8wXA9ABZz
— James Conner (@JamesConner_) December 10, 2016
The text reads: “Blessed to have been given the opportunity to play at this great university. I have given it everything I got and will do it one more time in New York City for my brothers at Pitt. When they talk about someone who made a positive impact on the ... Read More

“The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The winners of the trophy epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.”
If you were curious or confused, those two sentences are used to define the qualities and characteristics a player is expected to possess and display if he wants to win what is arguably the most famous trophy in sports: the ... Read More

With the intensity of sports, it's often easy to forget that these athletes who we all look up to and consider to be almost untouchable are, in fact, human, too.
One of the most inspirational stories in sports is Pitt Panthers running back James Conner, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in late November 2015 before beating the cancer and leading his team back onto the field at the start of the 2016 season. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, the redshirt junior never let his diagnosis ... Read More

This program wasn't supposed to be here.
This program was supposed to live in mediocrity as a result of the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the sanctions that followed — or so almost everyone thought.
But this program, the Penn State Nittany Lions, is a champion once again, overcoming insurmountable odds to become the 2016 Big Ten Champions after they beat the Wisconsin Badgers 38-31 Saturday evening.
How they got to that point is incredibly impressive — and it all began and ... Read More

The No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten Championship since 2008 Saturday night against the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers. Not only did Penn State's victory over the Badgers pad the Nittany Lions' win total but also their hopes of making it to the College Football Playoff.
So, should the Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions be considered for the playoff?
Absolutely.
“I think conference championship games should carry weight. It's another game where you're playing the best against ... Read More